Rangers Sink Sharks For First Road Win Of The Season

Zak Chiger Updated: Oct 31, 2018

In a game that was full of scoring chances, great saves and all around excitement, it was the Rangers who came out on top with a 4-3 shootout win over the San Jose Sharks.

Mats Zuccarello – After Brent Burns gave San Jose an early 1-0 lead, it was the Rangers’ diminutive Norwegian that answered back less than one minute later. Taking a bank pass from Kevin Shattenkirk in the neutral zone and fired a laser past Martin Jones to tie the game. The goal was Zuccarello’s third of the season, and hopefully, we’ll see Zucc start shooting the puck more and more as the season continues.

https://twitter.com/4bnyrgameday/status/1057464619361619968?s=21

Mats Zuccarello has registered six points (three goals, three assists) in the last seven games and is tied for the team lead in points this season (nine). #NYR

— NY Rangers PR (@NYR_PR) October 31, 2018

Chris Kreider – The speedy power forward was in a four-game goalless drought heading into this one, and boy did he snap out of it emphatically. Kreider got his fifth goal of the season early in the third period as he one-timed a pass from Brady Skjei into the back of the net to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead.

🦅 👁 🚨#NYR https://t.co/jr4aA9bRYa

— x – New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 31, 2018

For an encore, Kreider took a pass from the aforementioned Zuccarello and redirected the puck over the goal line to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead midway through the third period.

https://twitter.com/4bnyrgameday/status/1057493566312853511?s=21

Kreider is a very important piece for the Rangers going forward and the more games he has like the one he had against San Jose, the better it will be for the Blueshirts.

Jesper Fast – For as well as Jesper Fast played in the first 58:32 of this game, he made a play that was so unlike him that Joe Micheletti called it “the worst play he’s ever seen Jesper Fast make.” With the Sharks net empty and the Rangers looking to seal the two points in regulation, Fast made a drop pass in the neutral zone that resulted in a turnover. The Sharks wouldn’t score immediately, but they did tie the game just before the final buzzer on a goal from Tomas Hertl. Fast has always been an unselfish player, and maybe he assumed that Kevin Hayes would be there for the drop pass. However, when you have open ice in front of you and your team is clinging to a one-goal lead late in the game, it is okay to be selfish and score the empty netter to finish off the game.

Henrik Lundqvist bared his soul after the game. He's still thinking about giving up the tying goal with a second left. "It was a pretty intense game. Emotionally, it was a challenge, too… after what happened in L.A. … I couldn’t believe it when they tied the game.

— Colin Stephenson (@ColinSNewsday) October 31, 2018

Henrik Lundqvist – If it wasn’t for the play of King Henrik in this one, the Rangers would’ve lost to San Jose by a wide margin. Instead, Lundqvist turned back the clock and came up with a handful of jaw-dropping stops to keep his team in the game, including this one to send the game to the shootout.

https://twitter.com/4bnyrgameday/status/1057500649921888256?s=21

Lundqvist on the save he made on Brent Burns with 1 second left in OT: "I don’t know if I would have made it through the night if they scored with two seconds to go in overtime, as well.''

— Colin Stephenson (@ColinSNewsday) October 31, 2018

Speaking of the shootout, King Henrik made a gorgeous glove save on San Jose sniper Logan Couture before Kevin Shattenkirk gave the Blueshirts their first road win of the season.

WOW!!! Hank's sick glove save & Shatty's slick move wins it for #NYR in the shootout!!! pic.twitter.com/1K47A8m8j5

— MSG Networks (@MSGNetworks) October 31, 2018

Henrik has seemed to shake off some of the struggles of the last couple of years under the former administration and is looking more and more like the Henrik of old night after night.

Henrik Lundqvist earned his 60th career win in a shootout in tonight's contest, which is the most among NHL goaltenders since the shootout was implemented in 2005-06. #NYR

— NY Rangers PR (@NYR_PR) October 31, 2018

Next Game: The Rangers will try and end the California trip with another W as they head to the Honda Center on Thursday and face the Anaheim Ducks. Puck drops at 10!

LETS GO RANGERS!!